Idaho Rockfest is being sued by a Tennessee entertainment agency for not paying a broker’s fee, ultimately causing the festival to be cancelled.
Todd Hutchison of Hutch Entertainment filed a lawsuit against Ron Heyrend of EKR Entertainment and Productions Inc. last Wednesday. The suit alleges that Heyrend owed the agency a 15 percent broker’s fee for connecting Heyrend to multiple artists that were scheduled to perform at the festival.
Rockfest was supposed to take place on Friday and Saturday, but was abruptly cancelled a day before, just a few hours after listing set times.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, Idaho Rockfest is canceled and all tickets will be refunded to ticket buyers,” a post on the Idaho Rockfest Facebook page said. “The cancellation of Idaho Rockfest is in no way a reflection of the stellar artists and bands booked for this festival.”
While publicist Scott Adkins was unsure of how many tickets were sold, he said that several thousand people bought tickets, and the stadium was close to being full. Adkins said that buyers who purchased tickets with their credit card will receive a refund from EKR Productions over the next few days following the cancellation.
According to Post Register, a copy of the broker fee agreement in the lawsuit’s court file states that Heyrend was supposed to pay Hutch Entertainment 15 percent of the booking commision before the show. Hutch Entertainment’s statement notes that while a request was sent to Heyrend on August 3, he did not respond. The statement also says that Heyrend’s refusal to pay was “intentional, willful, and wanton, done with malice aforethought.”
Heyrend owes the company $25,163. Hutch Entertainment requested that the court prevent EKR from holding the festival or that revenue from the festival be turned over until the broker’s fee was paid. Before the court had made a decision, the festival was cancelled. However, as of Friday, the fee still remained unpaid.
The festival was supposed to feature artists like Ratt, Warrant, Dokken, Sebastian Bach, Great White, Lynch Mob, and Vince Neil of Motley Crue.
“Again, we are incredibly upset and disappointed about the circumstances to cancel Idaho Rockfest,” another post stated on the fest’s Facebook page. “Our investors cancelled at the last minute, despite solid ticket sales, and we were forced to cancel the event. We understand and feel your frustration.”
Concertgoers were not happy with the outcome and have bombarded the Rockfest Facebook page, requesting refunds.
Those who did not receive refunds yet or paid with cash are directed to email [email protected].
